Mum, dad, fringe ‘church’ members accused of killing 8yo Elizabeth Struhs found guilty of manslaughter

A judge has returned a bombshell verdict in the trial of 14 members of a cult-like religious circle who were accused of killing an eight-year-old girl.

Members of a fringe faith-healing congregation accused of fatally withholding a young girl’s lifesaving medicine have been found guilty of her manslaughter - with the father and leader of the “church” found not guilty of murder.

Supreme Court Justice Martin Burns handed down his verdict against the 14 members of the cult-like religious sect known as The Saints, who are on trial over the death of Elizabeth Struhs in early 2022.

The eight-year-old had incurable Type 1 diabetes and was found dead in her family home in Rangeville, a suburb of Toowoomba in regional Queensland.

Elizabeth Struhs died in her family’s Rangeville home after members of her home ‘church’ group allegedly withdrew her insulin. Picture: Supplied

Members of the group, known as The Saints, will learn their fates at the Supreme Court in Brisbane (pictured) today. Picture: NewsWire / Dan Peled

Members of The Saints – which include her parents Jason Richard Struhs and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs – believe in the healing power of God and shun medical intervention and medicine, outside of basic first aid.

Mr and Mrs Struhs are alleged to have withdrawn their daughter’s insulin on January 3, 2022, as a test of Mr Struhs’ new-found faith in God.

As Elizabeth grew more and more unwell over the week, the pair and 12 other members of the sect are alleged to have instead prayed for God to “heal” her instead of seeking medical attention.

The 14 members of the group are alleged to have withheld Elizabeth’s insulin for a week, resulting in her death between January 6 or 7, 2022 from diabetic ketoacidosis. Picture: Court Sketch / NewsWire

The child’s condition worsened until she died of diabetic ketoacidosis between January 6-7.

Jason Struhs, 53, and 63-year-old Brendan Luke Stevens – who is the leader of The Saints – are both charged with Elizabeth’s murder, while Kerrie Struhs, 49, is charged with manslaughter.

Elizabeth’s older brother Zachary Alan Struhs, 22, Loretta Mary Stevens, 67, – the wife of Brendan Stevens – and the couple’s adult children Acacia Naree Stevens, 32, Therese Maria Stevens, 37, Sebastian James Stevens, 24, Andrea Louise Stevens, 35, Camellia Claire Stevens, 29, and Alexander Francis Stevens, 26, Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, 34, and his wife Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, 26, and a third woman, Keita Courtney Martin, 24, are also charged with manslaughter.

All 14 defendants have pleaded not guilty to their charges and have refused legal representation.

Due to limited seating to accommodate the group, media and members of the public have packed out the overflow courtroom at Brisbane Supreme Court to view the judgment.

But in a bombshell development, Mr Struhs and Mr Stevens were both found not guilty of murder on Wednesday.

Justice Burns returned guilty verdicts for the alternative counts of manslaughter for the pair - in addition to the other 12 members of The Saints.

Dozens of witnesses were called to give evidence and hours of police interviews and recorded prison calls were played to the court during the trial, which concluded in September 2024.

Hundreds of text messages exchanged between all 14 members of The Saints, some dating back as far as 2019, were also read out in court.

Timeline of tragedy before child’s death

Over the course of the trial, the court was told Kerrie had been a devout member of The Saints for 17 years but Jason had resisted to join.

This began to change in 2019 when Elizabeth became deathly ill from her diabetes – which had not been diagnosed.

Kerrie refused to seek appropriate medical care for her daughter but Jason rushed her to Toowoomba Base Hospital after realising she had lost a significant amount of weight.

Doctors had described Elizabeth being “minutes from death” and if not for Jason’s action, she would not have survived.

Both Kerrie and Jason were charged with failing to supply Elizabeth with the necessaries of life as a result.

The Crown contended Elizabeth’s parents Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs and Jason Richard Struhs opted to withdraw the child’s medicine as a test of Jason’s new-found faith in God. Picture: Supplied / A Current Affair

In 2021, Jason pleaded guilty to the charge and received a suspended sentence, but Kerrie pleaded not guilty and took her case to trial.

She was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to five months’ jail.

Jason was left to care for his family while managing Elizabeth’s insulin intake – something he found draining and difficult.

In August that year, he was baptised into the group by Brendan Stevens.

Jason Struhs was only baptised into The Saints and embraced their extreme beliefs around medicine in August 2021. He is charged with Elizabeth’s murder. Picture: Supplied

Kerrie Struhs is among 13 other people charged with her daughter’s manslaughter, including Elizabeth’s older brother Zachary Alan Struhs. Picture: Supplied

The Crown contended members of The Saints – including Kerrie Struhs – pressured Jason to adopt their extreme beliefs surrounding medicine, and encouraged him to stay firm in his decision to cease Elizabeth’s insulin.

They relied on texts exchanged between members of the group – including one where Jason said he was “scared” and “lost in thought” after seeing his daughter’s condition deteriorating from January 4, 2022.

Brendan Luke Stevens is the leader of The Saints and was alleged to have played a significant role in ensuring Elizabeth’s father did not sway from his decision to stop administering his daughter’s medicine. He is also charged with murder. Picture: Supplied

Brendan was alleged to have organised an impromptu fellowship to encourage the Struhs family and told them over text Elizabeth’s condition was a “little trial” to prove Jason and Kerrie were “faithful” to God.

Others included messages of support for Jason – one from Therese Stevens reading: “Be strong and of good courage. Be not afraid, neither dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Members of The Saints are alleged to have attended the Struhs’ family home through the week, encouraging Jason and praying for Elizabeth’s condition to be healed.

One photo taken at the Struhs’ home shows members of the Stevens family surrounding Elizabeth, who is lying on a pink mattress in a semiconscious state.

Group claims Elizabeth will rise again

Members of The Saints have denied allegations they pressured Jason Struhs to adopt their beliefs, while some have insisted she will rise from the dead.

Each of the 14 defendants indicated they would not give evidence, but delivered closing submissions on the final day of their trial.

Brendan Stevens claimed the case against them was a form of religious persecution, using his closing submission to go on a lengthy tangent about the Five Eyes security alliance being the “Israel of old”, pigs organs being inserted into human bodies and referring to the resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus in the bible.

The Saints have denied killing Elizabeth and have insisted she will rise again. Picture: Supplied

The Saints’ leader ultimately claimed the congregation did not kill Elizabeth if the evidence suggested she died from a “disease” (diabetic ketoacidosis) which led to her death.

Jason Struhs wept as he described how his daughter was “just sleeping” and he would see her again.

“The only encouragement I received was to trust in God,” he said.

“It was only mine, and Elizabeth’s decision, to stop insulin. No-one else.”

Alexander Stevens also wept at describing how he never betrayed Elizabeth’s trust in him.

“I prayed for her diligently, with the same faith she had,” Alexander sobbed.

“And though I know that we look like fools and idiots, deceived and brainwashed, a laughing stock, I know the opposite is true.

“That God’s word is true, No matter how things may appear.”